Golf course sand bunker with liner and method of making the same

Abstract

A stabilized course sand bunker and method of making the same is disclosed. The soil making up the bunker is contoured and stabilized so that it is in the form of a pit having a downward angularly extending keyway surrounding the opening at the top edge of the pit. A semi-solid precursor material is applied over the pit and keyway and allowed to cure to form a barrier liner having a flanged anchoring portion for location under some additional soil and turf grass. Bunker sand is disposed over the barrier liner. The barrier liner when cured enables water in the bunker to pass through it, is sufficient flexible to dampen and absorb the impact of a golf ball strike, all the while stabilizing and protecting the edge of the bunker where the turf grass meets the sand in the bunker.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A barrier liner for a stabilized golf course bunker of a desired configuration, the bunker being configured to be covered with sand and being formed of soil having downwardly sloping sides terminating at a top edge forming an opening for the bunker and an angled key way surrounding the opening and extending outward and downward at an acute angle from a hinge point located at the opening, said barrier liner comprising:
 a curable semi-solid barrier material applied on said downwardly sloping sides and up and over said top edge for a predetermined distance outside the bunker over the angled key way and under a portion of turf surrounding the opening, whereupon when said curable semi-solid barrier material is cured said barrier liner comprises a cured portion overlying said angled key way and a cured portion overlying said downwardly sloping sides, said cured portion of said barrier liner overlying said angled key way having a thickness which is greater than the thickness of said cured portion of said barrier liner overlying said downwardly sloping sides, said barrier liner being configured to be covered with sand to allow water to percolate therethrough to reduce water accumulation in said bunker and being sufficiently flexible to dampen or absorb impact when a golf ball hits said bunker.   
     
     
         2 . The barrier liner of  claim 1 , wherein said curable semi-solid barrier material comprises a mixture of a dry binding agent, lightweight aggregate and water. 
     
     
         3 . The barrier liner of  claim 1 , wherein the bunker includes a floor and wherein said barrier liner includes a cured portion of said curable semi-solid barrier material overlying the floor, and wherein said portions of said barrier layer disposed over the sides and floor of the bunker include an outer surface, and wherein said barrier liner additionally comprises a thin layer of finishing sand fixedly secured to said outer surface of said barrier liner at the sides and floor. 
     
     
         4 . The barrier liner of  claim 3 , additionally comprising loose bunker sand disposed over said thin layer of fixedly secured finishing sand. 
     
     
         5 . The barrier liner of  claim 1 , wherein said angled key way extends downward at an acute angle. 
     
     
         6 . The barrier liner of  claim 1 , wherein said predetermined distance is approximately 4-6 inches. 
     
     
         7 . The barrier liner of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of said harrier liner at the sides of said bunker is in the range of ⅝ to ¾ inch. 
     
     
         8 . The barrier liner of  claim 1 , wherein said thickness of said barrier liner at said key way is in a range of ¾ to 1 inch. 
     
     
         9 . The barrier liner of  claim 7 , wherein said thickness of said barrier liner at said key way is in a range of ¾ to 1 inch. 
     
     
         10 . The barrier liner of  claim 1 , wherein said portion of said barrier liner in said floor comprises an opening in communication with a drain pipe in the bunker. 
     
     
         11 . A method of stabilizing and lining a golf course bunker to be covered with sand comprising the steps of:
 forming soil and surrounding landscape into a bunker having downwardly sloping sides terminating at a top edge forming an opening for said bunker and an angled key way surrounding said opening and extending outward and downward at an acute angle from a hinge point located at said opening;   compacting said soil to produce a compacted soil surface;   forming a barrier liner for said bunker by applying a curable semi-solid barrier material on said compacted soil surface of said downwardly sloping sides, up and over said hinge point, and on said angled key way, said curable semi-solid material on said key way extending under a portion of said turf surrounding said opening for a predetermined distance outside said hinge point, said barrier liner having a thickness at said key way which is greater than a thickness of said barrier liner at said sides; and   allowing said barrier liner to cure, whereupon said cured barrier liner is configured to be covered with sand and which allows water to percolate therethrough to reduce water accumulation in said bunker and is sufficiently flexible to dampen or absorb impact when a golf ball hits said bunker.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said barrier liner is cured for 24 hours. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said curable semi-solid barrier material comprises a mixture of a dry binding agent, lightweight aggregate and water. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , said predetermined distance is approximately 4 to 6 inches. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said thickness of said barrier liner at said key way being in the range of ¾ to 1 inch. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said thickness of said barrier liner at said sides being in the range of ⅝ to ¾ inch. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said thickness of said barrier liner at said sides being in the range of ⅝ to ¾ inches. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said barrier material is applied by hand. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said barrier liner includes an outer surface and wherein said method additionally comprises fixedly securing a layer of finishing sand onto said outer surface of said barrier liner to form a finished outer surface for said barrier liner. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 9 , additionally comprising applying bunker sand over said finished outer surface.